Bracket for mounting banner to a truck wall

ABSTRACT

A mounting bracket for affixing a banner to a side panel of a truck body, the truck body having a top panel, a side panel, and a top rail extending along a side of the top panel and a top of the side panel and joining the top and side panels. The mounting bracket includes the top rail having a first attachment member projecting outwardly therefrom and a mounting channel having a second attachment member projecting therefrom. The mounting channel has a channel for receiving a keder bead affixed to a top edge of the banner. The second attachment member of the mounting channel mates with the first attachment member of the top rail. The first and second attachment members are illustratively opposed dovetails that mate together.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to banners affixed to panels ofvehicles, such as to side panels of truck bodies, and more particularly,to a mounting bracket used to affix the banners to the side panels oftruck bodies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The sides of vehicles, commercial trucks in particular, can beused for advertising, in effect, providing a “rolling billboard.”Companies often paint the sides of their trucks and truck trailers, suchas semi-tractor trailers, with their company names and logos. Morerecently, banners have been affixed to the sides of trucks with theadvertisement printed on the banner. These banners can be removablewhich allows the advertisement to be changed.

[0003] One type of removable advertising banner is marketed under thetrademark TRUCKSKIN by Truckskin of Traverse City, Mich. As shown inFIG. 1, the TRUCKSKIN banner 100 is a sheet or substrate 102 in agenerally rectangular shape. This banner has a nylon reinforced rubberkeder or keder bead 104 attached to a top edge 106 of sheet 102 and tothe front and rear vertical edges 108, 110 of sheet 102. This keder orkeder bead 104 is illustratively welded or sewn into the top, front andrear edges 106, 108, 110 of sheet 102 of the banner 100. Keder 104attached to top edge 106 is shown expanded in FIG. 2 and keder 104attached to rear edge 110 is shown expanded in FIG. 3.

[0004] A lower edge 112 of sheet 102 of banner 100 has a sewn, orpermanently welded, lengthwise pocket 114 for receiving a rod 116.Pocket 114 is illustratively divided into a plurality of sections, eachreceiving a rod 116, with spaces between each section that allow thebanner 100 to be folded. Each of the plurality of pocket sections haveone or more openings 118 with a strap 120 passing through each opening118 and around the rod 116. Each strap 120 has at a distal end or clipor other attachment mechanism 122 for attaching the strap 120 to aportion of the body of the truck to which banner 100 is affixed. Eachstrap 120 has a ratchet 124 or other device for tensioning the strap totighten the banner 100 when it is affixed to a truck body. It should beunderstood that straps 120 can also or alternatively be affixed to thefront and/or rear edges 108, 110 of sheet 102 of banner 100 in the samemanner.

[0005] The top, front and rear edges of the truck body to which banner100 is affixed have mounting channels 500 (FIG. 5) affixed thereto. Eachmounting channel 500 illustratively has a cylindrical channel section502 and a flange 504 on one side of cylindrical channel section 502.Flange 504 has a plurality of holes 506 (only one of which is shown inFIG. 5) extending therethrough. Cylindrical channel section 502 has aslot 508 therein.

[0006] Mounting channels 500 are affixed to the top, front and rearedges of a side of a truck to which banner 100 is to be affixed byrivets or screws (not shown) which are passed through holes 506 inflange 504 into the side of the truck. Banner 100 is then affixed to theside of the truck by inserting the keder or keder beads 104 on the top,front and side edges 106, 108, 110 of sheet 102 of banner 100 into thecylindrical channel sections 502 of the respective mounting channels500. Clips 122 of straps 120 are then fastened to the truck body andstraps 120 tightened.

[0007] One of the problems with mounting channel 500, particularly theone affixed to the top edge of the truck body, is that of holes must bedrilled along the top edge of the truck body to receive the rivets orscrews used to fasten the mounting channel 500 in place and the rivetsor screws must be fastened. For large trucks, such as semi-tractors, aconsiderable number of holes must be drilled and a commensurate numberof screws or rivets fastened in them.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A mounting bracket for affixing a banner to a side panel of avehicle body, such as a truck body. The truck body has a top panel, aside panel, and a top rail extending along a side of the top panel and atop of the side panel and joining the top and side panels. The mountingbracket includes the top rail having a first attachment memberprojecting outwardly therefrom and a mounting channel having a secondattachment member projecting therefrom. The mounting channel has achannel for receiving a top edge of the banner. The second attachmentmember of the mounting channel mates with the first attachment member ofthe top rail. In an aspect of the invention, the first and secondattachment members are opposed dovetails that mate together.

[0009] Further areas of applicability of the present invention willbecome apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. Itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention,are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0011]FIG. 1 is a side view of a prior art banner affixed to a truckbody;

[0012]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the section indicated by the circle2-2 of FIG. 1;

[0013]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the section indicated by the circle3-3 of FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the section indicated by the circle4-4 of FIG. 1;

[0015]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a prior art mounting channel;

[0016]FIG. 6 is a side view of a mounting bracket in accordance with anaspect of the invention;

[0017]FIG. 7 is a side view of a mounting channel of the mountingbracket of FIG. 6;

[0018]FIG. 8 is a side view of a top rail of the mounting bracket ofFIG. 6;

[0019]FIG. 9 is a side view of a truck body having the mounting bracketof FIG. 6;

[0020]FIG. 10 is a section taken along the line 10-10 of FIG. 9; and

[0021]FIG. 11 is a side view of a variation of the mounting bracket ofFIG. 6;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) ismerely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit theinvention, its application, or uses.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 6-8, an improved mounting bracket 600 foraffixing banner 100 to a top edge 902 of a body 900 (FIG. 9) of avehicle, such as a truck, is described. Mounting bracket 600 includes atop rail 602 and a mounting channel 604. Top rail 602 is a longitudinalrail extending along the top edge 902 between a top panel 1000 (FIG. 10)and a side panel 1004 of body 900 and joins top panel 1000 to side panel1004. That part of top rail 602 that joins top panel 1000 to side panel1004 is generally of conventional construction. In this regard, top rail602 has first and second vertically extending offset sections 606, 608with a first horizontally extending section 610 joining a bottom edge612 of first vertically extending section 606 to a top edge 614 ofsecond vertically extending section 608. A top flange 616 extends acrossa top edge 618 of first vertically extending section 606 and a secondflange 620 extends laterally inwardly (with respect to the body of thevehicle) from first vertically extending section 606 in spaced relationto an inner section 622 of top flange 616. Inner section 622 of topflange 616 and second flange 620 define a channel 624 therebetween forreceiving an edge section 1002 of top panel 1000 (FIG. 10) of body 900.A side panel 1004 is received against second vertically extendingsection 608 with a top edge 1006 of side panel 1004 adjacent tohorizontally extending section 610.

[0024] Top rail 602 deviates from conventionally constructed top railsfor joining top and side panels of truck bodies in that it has anattachment member 626 to which a corresponding attachment member 628 ofmounting channel 604 mates, as described in more detail below.Attachment member 626 is illustratively an upwardly opening dovetailextending outwardly from second vertically extending section 608 betweentop edge 614 and a lower edge 630 of second vertically extending section608. In a variation, attachment member 626 is located at lower edge 630of second vertically extending section 608 (FIG. 11).

[0025] Top rail 602 including first and second vertically extendingsections 606, 608, horizontally extending section 610, top flange 616,flange 620 and attachment member 626, is illustratively formed as asingle extruded part, such as of aluminum. It should be understood,however, that one or more of these elements of top rail 602 could beformed as separate pieces that are then joined together, such as bywelding.

[0026] Mounting channel 604 illustratively has a longitudinallyextending cylindrical channel section 632 and a flange 634 extendingupwardly therefrom on one side of cylindrical channel section 632.Flange 634 includes attachment member 628. Illustratively, an upper edge636 of flange 634 is formed to provide attachment member 628, which isillustratively an inwardly projecting, downwardly opening dovetail.Cylindrical channel section 632 has a longitudinally extending slot 638therein for receiving the keder or keder bead 104 of top edge 106 ofbanner 100, in a manner similar to that described above with respect tomounting channel 500. Mounting channel 604 including cylindrical channelsection 632, flange 634 and attachment member 628, is illustrativelyformed as a single extruded part, such as of aluminum. It should beunderstood, however, that one or more elements of mounting channel 604could be formed as separate parts which are joined together, such as bywelding.

[0027] Top rail 602 is part of body 900 and is installed duringconstruction of body 900. Mounting channel 604 can be affixed to toprail 602 during construction of body 900 or thereafter. Mounting channel604 is affixed to top rail 602 by mating attachment member 628 ofmounting channel 604 to attachment member 626 of top rail 602. Mountingchannel 604 is preferably further secured to top rail 602 by appropriatefasteners. Illustratively, adhesive 640 is placed between an innersurface 642 of flange 634 of mounting channel 604 and an outer surface644 of top rail 602 (or outer surface 1008 of side panel 1004 in thevariation shown in FIG. 11). Adhesive 640 may illustratively be 4611 VHBadhesive tape available from 3M of Minneapolis, Minn. It should beunderstood that other types of fastenings can be used to further securemounting channel 604 to top rail 602, such as rivets, screws, and thelike.

[0028] While attachment members 626 and 628 are illustratively matingdovetails, it should be understood that other mating attachments can beutilized for attachment members 626, 628, such as hooks, flanges, andthe like.

[0029] Side panel 1004 of truck body 900 further includes mountingchannels 500 (FIG. 5) affixed to front and rear vertical edges 904, 906of truck body 900 (FIG. 9).

[0030] The description of the invention is merely exemplary in natureand, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the inventionare intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variationsare not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mounting bracket for affixing a banner to aside panel of a track body, the truck body having a top panel, a sidepanel, and a top rail extending along a side of the top panel and a topof the side panel and joining the top and side panels, the mountingbracket comprising the top rail having a first attachment memberprojecting outwardly therefrom and a mounting channel having a secondattachment member projecting therefrom, the mounting channel having achannel therein for receiving a top edge of the banner, the secondattachment member of the mounting channel mating with the firstattachment member of the top rail.
 2. The mounting bracket of claim 1wherein the first attachment member of the top rail includes an upwardlyopening dovetail and the second attachment member of the mountingchannel includes a downwardly opening dovetail that is received in theupwardly opening dovetail of the first attachment member.
 3. Themounting bracket of claim 1 wherein the channel of the mounting channelreceives a keder bead affixed to the top edge of the banner.
 4. Themounting bracket of claim 2 wherein the mounting channel is fastened toat least one of an outwardly facing side of the top rail and anoutwardly facing side of the side panel by at least one fastener.
 5. Themounting bracket of claim 4 wherein the at least one fastener comprisesadhesive disposed between an inwardly facing side of the mountingchannel and the at least one of the outwardly facing side of the toprail and the outwardly facing side of the side panel.
 6. A mountingbracket for affixing a banner to a side panel of a track body, the truckbody having a top panel and a top rail extending along a side of the toppanel and a top of the side panel and joining the top and side panels,the mounting bracket comprising the top rail having a first attachmentmember projecting outwardly therefrom and a mounting channel having asecond attachment member projecting therefrom, the mounting channelhaving a channel therein for receiving a keder bead affixed to a topedge of the banner, the first attachment member including an upwardlyopening dovetail that mates with a downwardly opening dovetail of thesecond attachment member.
 7. A truck body to which a banner can beattached, comprising a top panel joined to a side panel by a top railextending along a side of the top panel and a top of the side panel, thetop rail having a first attachment member projecting outwardly therefromthat mates with a second attachment member projecting from a mountingchannel, the mounting channel having a second attachment memberprojecting therefrom and a channel for receiving a top edge of thebanner.
 8. The truck body of claim 7 wherein the first attachment memberof the top rail includes an upwardly opening dovetail and the secondattachment member of the mounting channel includes a downwardly openingdovetail that is received in the upwardly opening dovetail of the firstattachment member.
 9. The truck body of claim 7 wherein the channel ofthe mounting channel receives a keder bead affixed to the top edge ofthe banner.
 10. The truck body of claim 8 wherein the mounting channelis fastened to at least one of an outwardly facing side of the top railand an outwardly facing side of the side panel by at least one fastener.11. The truck body of claim 10 wherein the at least one fastenercomprises adhesive disposed between an inwardly facing side of themounting channel and the at least one of the outwardly facing side ofthe top rail and the outwardly facing side of the side panel.
 12. Thetruck body of claim 9 and further including a second mounting channelaffixed to at least one of a front and rear edge of the side panel, thesecond mounting channel having a channel therein for receiving a kederbead affixed to a corresponding one of a front and rear edge of thebanner.
 13. The truck body of claim 12 and further including a thirdmounting channel affixed to the other of the front and rear edge of theside panel, the third mounting channel having a channel therein forreceiving a keder bead affixed to the other of the front and rear edgeof the banner.